Loose-leaf binder construction



Och 9, 1951 1 J. c. coNDoN Er AL 2,570,323

LOOSE-LEAN BINDER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 27; 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NW l Uf r

Patented Oct. 9, 951

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER CONSTRUCTION John C. Condon and Otto Felix, Chicago, Ill., as-

signors to Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Application August 27, 1948, Serial No. 46,428

(Cl. 12B-1) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bookbinding apparatus and is concerned more particularly With the construction of loose leaf binder rings which may be spring tensioned between open and closed positions so that perforated pages may be inserted and removed at will. f

In the construction of loose leaf binder apparatus heretofore, the economic motive has dictated various practices in order to minimize the initial cost of production. Accordingly, assemblies have been so designed and integrated that upon the failure of any part due to wear or rupture, the entire apparatus was rendered unserviceable. The Vimpracticability of fleld repair was most frequently indicated by the diiculty of disassembly as Well as other factors which have made the entire ring binder discardable as scrap upon the rupture or failure of what frequently comprised only a minor part.

The present invention concerns itself primarily with a new mode of construction and interrelation of parts which will afford facile repair interchangeability and ready replacement, so that upon wear or failure of any of its various parts, replacement and repair may be made under field conditions at small cost, and with but pocket tool facilities.

A principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to aord a loose leaf ring binder construction which is simple and rugged in design and whose parts are interchangeable as to various sizes of binders so that they can be used for multiple rings of any number and so as to 'render field repair service facile and practical.r

The Way in which these objects are achieved consists primarily in the provision of a metallic "backing member to which are secured, in the proximity of each ring location, journal brackets through which a main operating rod extends longitudinally and passes through all of the journal brackets in which it is threaded through -a relatively removable portion of each ring as- 2 when observed in an upright position such as during shelf storage array.

For a better understanding of the details of construction regarding this invention and the practices whereby its objects are achieved reference Will now be had to the. accompanying drawings and to the following detailed specification in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout and in.

Which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a binder assembly in spread open condition with a portion of one cover broken away, having incorporated therein various features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view longitudinally of the backing strip and operating rod and is taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational View of the backing strip with the cover elements disposed in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken approximately on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of vone end of the backing strip on which the detenting spring and operating arm are disposed; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through a modied'form of backing strip showing the binder rings equipped with spring pressed sheet protectors.

The general arrangement of the parts of this invention follow the conventional mode so that to a principal backing strip II formed with lpintle encircling wings I2 and I3, there are secured at regular intervals as by riveting the U- shaped journal channels I4, I5 and I6, see particularly Fig. 2. The upstanding and parallel end portions I'I of each channel are provided with circular openings all disposed to register in longitudinal alignment so that there may be received therethrough the main shank I8 of the operating member having a perpendicularly disposed arm I9 at one end thereof.

While the 'channels I4, I5 and I6 might be Welded or otherwise to the backing. strip II, it has been preferred to secure these elements by means of rivets 2|, so that if, and when, it is desired to do so, they may be replaced at small trouble and cost by. simply removing the old rivet heads, punching out the rivet stubs, and substituting new rivets that can be swaged over With field service'riveting tools.

The backing strip II, through its center portion, is flat and of predetermined width. At each side of the flat center portion, 'the strip is doubled over as at 22 and reversed again as at 23, affording thereby cross-sectionally a recess throughout the length of the backing member into which there may be slid bre or other pliable marker strips 24 faced with transparencies 25. In this way, different volumes made up of bookbinders according to the present teaching may be .differentiated from one another under conditions of easy interchangeabilty, so that any bookbinder may be rendered serviceable t0 any class or identification of subject by the simple expedient of replacing its markers 24-25.

The shank or beam I8 is square in cross-section as best seen in Figs. 4 and 6, and :may be constructed of a piece of square .steel stock bent at one end to provide the operating handle I9, Fig. 2. Where it passes between the upstanding portions I1 of each channel member I4, I5 or I6, the shank I8 is threaded to a square tubular sleeve 26 of such length las to be rotatably confined between the upstanding portions I1.

This arrangement is best illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Since each square tubular section 25 V`has welded to it the rotatable half 21 of a binder -ring the stationary half 28 of which is secured to one of the channels I4, l5 or I6 as at 29, Fig. 4, it will-be understood that when the beam I8 is rotated on its longitudinal axis, so too lwill all of the binder ring halves 21 be rotated to the dotted in position featured in Figs. 4 and 6.

The rotation of beam I3 is yieldably resisted by a detent spring 2'9, Fig. 5, which exerts an expansive force between the end bracket 3| integral with a longitudinal strip 32 secured to the backing member II, and a thrust Washer 33 whose travel is limited by the stop pin 34. The effect of the force `exerted by spring 29 is to urge the beam I8 rightwardly as viewed in Figs. 2 and'5 compelling the detent projection 35 located near the bottom of the operating arm i9 to seek entry within a seating `dimple in the bracket 3| with which it is in alignment when the ring elements 21 and 28 are closed as best indica-ted in Figs. 5 and 6. Another such dimple may be provided at 36 in the surface of bracket 3i in the arcuate path of such projection 35 and at a predetermined distance from the closed position of the ring elements so that under the same tension of spring 29 the ring elements 21 and 28 may be held ajar thereat.

The beam I8, being journaled throughout its length in the flanges I1 as well as in the end. flanges 3l and 31 of the center strip 32 for lim- -ited rotational movement, is also held against inadvertent withdrawal by the aforedescribed spring 29 together with its thrust washer 33 and tie pin 34. In order to d-isassemble these parts, therefore, it only becomes `necessary to drive the thrust pin 34 out of its seat aperture in the body of beam I8, whereupon the latter member can :be slid longitudinally ont freeing all of 'the sleeves 28 for repair or replacement purposes. In this way is afforded facile disassembly and interchangeability which makes it possible to service ring binders in disrepair, as well as to alter the ring binder equipment whereby to increase Aor 'decrease the number of ring 'sets 21--28 at will.

The importance of being able to utilize the indicated range of interchangeability and held serviceability is particularly enhancing to a ring binder construction of de luxe qualities where the component partsmay be reinstated into vservice notwithstanding the inevitability of wear that may be suffered. Thus it iste be observed that in a ring binder such as that illustrated the retrievable qualities are particularly important. Attention is now directed to the extremities of the backing member II which are formed with the hinge pintles I2 and I3. These are hinge elements which cooperate with the pintles 4I and 42 of sheet metallic formed binder covers 43 and 1'44. -lLongitudinal hinge pins 45 extend through the respective alignments of pintles and make for rugged and secure hinge elements capable of undergoing severe and repeated rigors of wear. The peripheral edging of the cover elements 43 and 44 is preferably beaded as at 46 onthe three outer edges of each cover. This quality Aof `finishing imparts a rich appearance to the binder covers and provides the tubular housing ,into which there may be inserted the end plugs 41 which receive and confine the extremities of ythe hinge pins 45.

Center panel areas offeach cover 43 and 44 may be reinforced against vibrational bowing or `buckling by having formed therethrough X-embossments 49 of shallowv circular cross-section.

This not only imparts a high rigidity to the cover member but more signicantly it endows it with a luxuriant quality of appearance and sturdiness While yet maintaining lightness of weight. The panel areas on the external sides of the covers 43 -and v44-may be ornamented withcovering material that may be inlaid withinV the beaded edging 45. Also-these covers may be treated .with a surfacing ornamentation such as flocking, enameling or lithographing.

Since wear will be limited to the movable ring elements, including portions 21 and the tubular sleeves 26 in accordance with the structural arrangement disclosed, replacement of these Yparts can be had at small cost and with but eld servicing tools. Also it is to be noted that the universal qualities of these parts will afford a practice whereby with a small stock of replacement parts a repairman is able to service ring binders of various proportions utilizing different numbers of rings according to the size of binder.

In order to prevent the tearing out of sheets during opening and closing of the Abinder covers, there is illustrated in Fig. 6 an auxiliary apparatus for maintaining the sheets clear of the ring pivot mechanism. l This apparatus includes a pair of pusher discs or washers 5I and 52 carried upon the binder rings 28 and 21 respectively. Compressible coil springs 54Y maintain these washers well away from the axial proximity of the binder, and in order to better support the compression spring on element 28,a flange 55 may be welded near the anchor end of this member. On the ring 21, the compression spring `54 may be permitted to abut the side of the square tubing 26. In this `way the sheets 53 are held clearer of the pivoting or beam mechanism Where they might otherwise be torn or mutilated.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to a particularly contemplated embodiment, it will be Yunderstood that numerous modifications and variations may be made without departing from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended to be limited by the particular details illustrated in the accompanying drawings nor by the language in the foregoing specification except as indicated in the hereunto appendedV claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a ring binder, a backing member comn `prising a metallic channel with longitudinal sides doubled over in opposite symmetry affordy ing a central recess for receiving identiiication materialslidable thereinto, a plurality of U- shaped journal supports secured to said member in end-to-end alignment and spaced one from another on the inner surface of said backing strip, binder ring elements associatedwith each of said U-shaped supports split into semicircular halves with corresponding halves of said rings secured to said supports, polygonal tubular sections conned within said supports having secured thereto the other halves of said binder rings, an operating beam journalled in and extending through all of said supports and polygonallyv conforming with said tubular sections, and spring detent means for holding said operating beam'in either its ring-closed or its ring-open positions.

2. In a ring binder construction, a main supporting member formed of a metallic channel whose sides are doubled over in reverse symmetry ilanking a longitudinal recess which may serve for receiving marking material, a plurality of U-shaped brackets secured in end-to-end alignment on the inner surface of said member and spaced one from another longitudinally, polygonal tubular sections conned within said said brackets and rotatively coupling said tubular sectionsl and spring means for detenting said bar in ring-open and ring-closed positions.

JOHN C. CONDON. OTTOl FELIX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 779,879 Sheridan et al Jan. 10, 1905 866,845 Dawson et al Sept. 24, 1907 1,805,314 Morton May 12, 1931 2,142,460 Schulz Jan. 3, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country DateA 438,509 Germany June 11, 1927 471,936 Germany July 16, 1929 830,008 France May 2, 1938 107,475 Sweden June 1, 1943 

